Lok Satta Party Tamil Nadu

We are in revolutionary times today. Young India, Urban India and Educated India is throbbing to participate in the political process of our country. Rural India is more aware that it has been short-changed in the 60 years post-independence and its fundamental needs remain unaddressed. The country is tired of being divided into vote banks based on artificial boundaries of caste and religion. Education, employment, healthcare, increasing agricultural efficiencies, creating a stable investment climate, transparency in governance and Promoting the quality of life of our people – these are the issues people are concerned with. Developmental politics, and not simply electoral politics, is the emerging discourse and the electorate is slowly, but surely recognizing this.

Lok Satta Party has emerged as a giant force in the political discourse of the country today.

What started off as a movement for political reforms ended up as a widely respected political party with an ultra-clean image, when we realized that to bring change to any system one must work from within it.

Today, Lok Satta is identified with a new political culture. This is the only party which welcomes any person with integrity and commitment to serve the country. We have the highest levels of intra-party democracy where every candidate has to face elections within the party to get a constituency ticket. Talent, commitment to nation-building and integrity are virtues here; and hence this has become a platform for a large number of socially conscious youth and activists. Lok Satta is today grooming some of the finest sets of leaders who will lead our country in policy making in the future. The party’s first MLA seat from Kukatpally constituency in Andhra Pradesh was won with novel campaign methods, including a railway coach yatra, and with minimal campaign funding.

Lok Satta has achieved some of the finest reforms of recent times – the Right to Information Act, Constitutional amendments to prevent defections, Disclosure of Criminal records and Assets of all candidates. It filed the petition in the Supreme Court that resulted in court-supervised investigation into the 2G scam.

Some of the key issues in which Lok Satta is currently leading the battle are:

Its toughest battle is for Electoral and Political Reforms, which include inter alia, making funding of political parties transparent and keeping away criminal money from the political system.

Lok Satta Party Tamil Nadu started its operations in 2009. It was majorly involved in anti-corruption, anti-liquor drives and empowered many citizens in Right to Information. It also contested in 3 by-elections held in Bargur, Pennagram and Tiruchendur. Lok Satta Party was also known as Makkal Sakthi Katchi, a literal meaning of Lok Satta Party in those days and many of the founding members were part of Makkal Sakthi Iyakkam founded by the inspirational writer Dr.M.S.Udayamoorthy.

Lok Satta Party Tamilnadu was involved in a protest against dysfunctional Information commission; in a protest against suppression of Right of Speech; protested against frequent transfer of honest IAS officer Mr.Sagayam and conducted a massive campaign for suspended IAS officer Mr.Uma Sankar for being honest. It also conducted Property Registration Consultation camps and fasted against 2G scam, to name a few activities. Lok Satta Party also contested in 2011 Tamilnadu assembly elections and local body elections and secured decent number of votes.

Lok Satta Party continued its journey in 2012 with increased membership and started working in many more people activities. It also brought in people from various walks of life who are working vigorously taking this party to next level. It has its wings spread out now in Coimbatore, Tirupur, Chennai, Karur and has presence in many more districts. It has tasted success so far in Regulations of Auto fares in Chennai, closing down TASMAC shops in Mylapore & Urapakkam and in getting ‘Angusam’ a movie which talks about RTI the censor certificate without paying bribe. It is currently working on Demanding Tamilnadu Assembly Live, Rigorous Liquor control, Anti-Corruption and Educational activities. Lok Satta Tamilnadu also publishes a monthly magazine titled Whistle which speaks at length and breadth, LSP Tamilnadu unit has grown.

Lok Satta Party, Tamilnadu started its grass root activities this year and as part of that it has conducted 25 ‘People Help Camps’ across Chennai. Thousands of people throng the camp to get their basic services done and ultimately get empowered. The camps led LSP TN to start its fight for an act which makes all the Government services a Right of the people called ‘Right to Public Services Act’. This act calls for time-bound services and penalty to the Government when there is a failure to provide the service within stipulated time-frames. This act is implemented in 16 states of India and a Bill is also pending in the parliament.

LSP TN sent representations to the Tamilnadu Government and to the district collectors of Tamilnadu requesting them to implement the act. LSP TN is also conducting mass awareness campaigns about the act to the common public by issuing hand-bills and conducting Signature Campaigns. It also conducted an agitation demanding the Government to implement the same.

LSP Tamilnadu has a fund-raising program called Big Brother to meet out its monthly expenses and it is a highly successful initiative which has attracted many donors.

The Key difference between LSP and other traditional parties are Internal Democracy – Elections – 2013, Elections – 2014 and Transparent accounting. The former is proved when LSP TN conducted its party elections exactly 1 year after a team took charge on Jan 3, 2012. The latter is available in the website for everyone to look at.